


Somwhere Only We Know

by 1TheArtOfLosing1



Series: Zelda/Marie One Shots [19]
Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-12 08:22:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29756799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1TheArtOfLosing1/pseuds/1TheArtOfLosing1
Summary: It’s been a week since Sabrina’s death. Zelda has been locking herself away in her bedroom and Marie comes up with a surprise to get her to go outside.Based on these prompts: Marie helping Zelda through a bad day, and a night (in this case day) out.
Relationships: Sabrina Spellman/Zelda Spellman, Zelda Spellman/Mambo Marie LaFleur
Series: Zelda/Marie One Shots [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1743508
Kudos: 19





	Somwhere Only We Know

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! I know it’s been a hot minute since I updates this series, but here we are. 
> 
>   
> Title is from the song by Keane
> 
> Enjoy!

_And if you have a minute, why don't we go_  
_Talk about it somewhere only we know?_  
_This could be the end of everything_  
_So why don't we go somewhere only we know?_

_-_

She hasn’t left her bedroom in days.

It has been a week since Sabrina Spellman passed, and ever since her funeral and the statue of her niece was placed in the hall of the academy, Zelda has been locking herself away in the comfort of her room. She hasn’t fulfilled any of her duties as a High Priestess since Sabrina’s death, has barely slept or eaten and only took a bath yesterday when Marie had made her one with bubbles and candles. Her days are spent by crying, going through old photo albums with pictures of Sabrina and ignoring the plates of food Hilda has been continuously bringing her.

Every few hours, Marie comes up to her room with a cup of steaming tea, that Zelda practically _knows_ she has put some type of potion in to make up for the meals she isn’t eating. On rare occasions, she does drink some of it, if only to make sure Marie keeps bringing them to her. Right now, she is the only person she can stand to be around and if she gives up on her, Zelda will break down completely.

Merely looking at her sister, fills Zelda’s heart with pain and grief. Seeing that same kind of hurt on her face, that she is certain is written on her own face, seeing those same thick tears clouding hazel orbs that she herself feels burning in her eyes and threatening to spill down her cheeks, and hearing that same crack in her voice Zelda has when she speaks, is too much.

Same story with Ambrose.

The only thing Zelda had ever wanted, was to keep her family safe, to keep them from hurting, to keep their hearts pure and undamaged.

And she had failed to do so.

Every time she looks at her sister or nephew, she is reminded of that failure. She is reminded of her promise to both Diana and Edward that she would keep Sabrina safe, she is reminded that she had allowed death to take her niece.

“Chérie? May I come in?” a voice comes from behind the closed door, pulling Zelda from her thoughts.

Marie seems to have made a nasty habit of always deciding to pay Zelda a visit in the middle of her breakdowns.

Hurriedly wiping her tears, while praying that her eyes don’t look too red, she clears her throat and answers: “Yes.”

The door opens then, and Marie walks in, the light shuffle of her feet against the wooden floor filling the air. Surprisingly, she isn’t holding a cup of tea like she usually is, this time empty-handed. She sits down on the edge of the bed carefully, next to Zelda. Eyes searching her face, she tucks a piece of strawberry blonde hair behind Zelda’s ear.

“How are you feeling today, mon coeur?” she asks, as if she doesn’t know the answer already. Every day, she asks that same question, and every day, it’s as if she hopes she will receive a better answer.

But every day, Zelda‘s answer is the same: “I’m fine.”

Marie looks at her for a moment longer, her brow furrowed in concern, before she nods and leans forward to gently kiss her cheek. She probably knows by now that she won’t get any other, more specific, information from Zelda, who sighs softly and leans into her lingering touch. Zelda relishes in the feeling of her lover’s presence. Those soft kisses, worried glances and sweet, assuring gestures Marie offers her, are the only things that manage to keep her sane these days. As sane as she can possibly be, that is.

Pulling back, Marie gives her that glorious, warm smile of hers and cups Zelda’s cheek with one hand. “It’s a beautiful outside, the sun is shining,” she states, her smile brightening a little when the words leave her lips. That smile is so infectious, Zelda can’t help but muster a small one in return.

When Zelda just nods, but doesn’t say anything, she carefully admits: “I set up a little surprise for you.”

Lips parting and closing a few times, her brows draw together. “That is so sweet of you, but I don’t know if I can deal with that right now,” Zelda says honestly. Even small tasks seems to soak up all her energy. Simply going to the bathroom often seems like the most difficult thing in the world. That’s why she doesn’t know if she currently has the strength for whatever it is Marie has in mind.

“I understand,” Marie assures her, dropping her hand from Zelda’s face, so she can take her hand and interlace their fingers instead. “But you can deal with _me_ , non?”

Smiling softly, Zelda nods.

If there is one person she can deal with right now, it is Marie.

“Then this is just going to be you, me and the sun. You don’t even have to put any other clothes on, if you don’t want to,” Marie adds, gesturing to the oversized sweater, that once belonged to herself, until Zelda claimed it, and the black pair of yoga pants she is wearing. “Does that sound alright?”

Zelda looks at her skeptically for a moment, but when Marie tilts her head and looks at her with hopeful eyes, she nods again.

Marie fully grins then, and drops a quick kiss on her lips, “Thank you, chérie.”

She gets up from the bed and extends her hand. Somewhat hesitantly, Zelda takes it and lets herself be dragged up to her feet. Marie guides her towards the door, but when they pass the mirror in the corner of the room, Zelda comes to a halt. When she catches sight of her own reflection, and comes face to face with the state that she is in, her jaw clenches.

Her hair is tangled and standing in all possible directions, her eyes red and puffy with dark circles underneath them and her lips are chapped. Her posture is honestly depressing to look at, her back bent and her shoulders hanging low as if she is carrying the very weight of the itself world.

She can’t remember the last time she looked quite this wretched, and she feels somewhat disgusted with herself for allowing it to happen.

“Are you alright?” Marie asks, as she notices the way Zelda is looking in the mirror.

Quickly nodding, she waves her off: “Yeah, I’m okay. Would you mind giving me a moment to freshen up, though?”

Marie looks at her another moment, somewhat bewildered, before agreeing: “Of course, I’ll wait for you downstairs.”

***

A little while later, Zelda walks down the stairs wearing a white blouse that is tucked into a pair of navy blue, wide-leg trousers. The outfit is matched with some golden earrings, a necklace, some bracelets, and of course, her favorite rings. For the first time in a week, she had done her make up, making quick work of getting rid of the bags below her eyes and instead of putting on lipstick, she had used chapstick. She had quickly clipped her hair back and even more quickly _cringed_ at the way it looked since she’d had no time to curl it, so she had decided to leave the clip out anyway.

Upon hearing the sound of light footsteps behind her, Marie looks up from the magazine she is reading and smiles when her eyes land on Zelda. She quickly tosses the magazine onto the small table that stands next to her seat by the stairs, and approaches her.   
  
“You look breathtakingly stunning,” she says in absolute awe, looking her up and down slowly, eyes resting on her hips for a few moments too long for Zelda not to notice.  
  
Not that she minds, though. Seeing her lover’s gaze consume her like that, sends thrills down Zelda’s spine. 

Zelda smiles weakly, and squeezes her hand in thanks.

Hands linked, they walk outside and to the car. The sun seems a little too bright for Zelda’s eyes, and she squints, making Marie giggle affectionately at her. Her head snaps towards her upon hearing the sound, ready to scold for laughing at her, but when Zelda catches sight of the dimples in Marie’s cheek and the happy smile on her face, she finds herself swallowing every harsh word that had been on the brink of leaving her lips. Instead, she blushes and looks down, holding her free hand above her eyes to shield them from the sun.

When they reach the car, Marie holds the door open for her, and Zelda takes the opportunity to kiss her cheek. The gesture makes Marie grin, before she makes her way to the other side and gets in the vehicle as well.

Fastening her seatbelt, Marie points to the backseat and suggest: “You might want to wear those.”

Frowning, and looking behind her, Zelda spots one of her hats and her favorite pair of sunglasses lying on one of the seats.

“Thank you,” Zelda says quietly, giving Marie’s hand a little squeeze, before reaching out to grab them.

“So where are we going?” Zelda asks, putting on the glasses and hat, while looking over at Marie, who has just started the engine.

“Not that far from here,” she says vaguely, and Zelda fears that’s the only answer she’ll get from her.

Huffing softly, because she knows Marie is completely aware of the fact that she _hates_ surprises, she clenches her jaw and tries not to look as exasperated as she feels. Marie is only trying to be sweet, and Hecate knows, Zelda truly appreciates it, but she has been feeling incredibly irritable these last few days and the most tiny things get on her every nerve.

If Marie notices Zelda’s crossed arms and nearly pouting lip, she pretends she doesn’t and pays her no mind, just keeping her attention on safely driving the car away from the Spellman’s property.

When they drive past the graveyard, Zelda firmly fixes her gaze in front of her, not daring to do as much as _glance_ in its direction. Once they are past it, she briefly closes her eyes, taking a deep breath. Marie’s hand instantly finds hers then, and Zelda holds onto it for dear life, grateful for the comfort it offers. It’s like Marie can sense when she needs a reassuring touch.

After a few moments, she opens her eyes again and glances over at Marie, who has her eyes on the road. Zelda takes a moment to appreciate how beautiful she is, knowing that it has been way too long already since she realized that.

The rest of the ride continues in comfortable silence, Marie’s hand remaining in Zelda’s, unless she needs it for a moment to drive. It’s a short ride. After only a few minutes, Marie parks the car in front of Zelda’s favorite Italian restaurant.

She is about to complain about how she really is not in the mood to have lunch in a crowded restaurant, and that this wasn’t part of the plan, when Marie starts: “I figured you wouldn’t want to eat here, so I ordered your favorite things to take away.” Then she leans forward and presses a kiss against her forehead. “I’ll be right back.”

“Be careful,” Zelda quickly says, before Marie nods and slips out of the car, leaving her alone for a few moments.

Since Sabrina died, it has become her most used phrase. Every time someone goes outside, or just out of her sight, she tells them to be careful. And for some reason, she actually _believes_ saying it will keep them safe. That it will somehow make them dodge all possible dangers. But maybe she believes it, just because her heart can’t bear to lose another of her loved ones.

She watches Marie cross the parking lot, letting her eyes linger for a few seconds too long on her round hips that sway elegantly at every step she takes. Unfortunately, she is brutally robbed of the delicious sight, once she enters the restaurant.

Slowly exhaling through her nose, Zelda comes to the conclusion that she is really being a prick to Marie.

Every time Hilda had dared to enter her bedroom, nasty remarks and spiteful comments had died on the tip of her tongue when she saw the way her younger sister seemed to barely be able to hold herself together. Now, all her bottled-up rage and frustration is slowly starting to surface, and poor Marie is sitting at the receiving end of it.

Licking her lips and silently making a pact with herself to not use Marie as her real-life punching bag anymore, she takes in her surroundings. People are coming and going from the restaurant, as a middle-aged woman and a young girl cross the parking lot.

The girl is skipping happily, ranting about whatever nonsense it is she finds important enough to share with the world, as she holds the woman’s hand, who seems to be having a little trouble to keep up with the child’s pace. The picture makes Zelda smile and her heart clench simultaneously, for she remembers well the times she had been in the woman’s position. Often enough, she had been wishing Sabrina would just shut up for two solid seconds, had damned her high heels for slowing her down and nearly making her stumble as she desperately tried to follow her young niece around. But most importantly, she had always felt her insides starting to melt at the amount of love she felt for the little girl, no matter how annoying she could be.

Zelda would do anything to make Sabrina give her one last headache or some blisters on her feet. Or to drag her out of the gutter when the girl had made a foolish, reckless decision yet again, once more.

In a way it’s funny, because she never would have guessed she’d ever miss the things about Sabrina she used to despise most, but she does. More than anything.

Soon enough, Zelda spots Marie walking out the door of the restaurant, carrying two paper bags. The trunk opens and she sets the bags down, before closing it and making her way to the front of the car, climbing back in. “Here we are,” she says, looking at Zelda to smile at her, before starting the engine again.

Remembering the pact she just made with herself, Zelda mutters quietly: “Thank you for doing this, darling.”

Marie’s head snaps towards her at the statement, and she reaches out to softly caress Zelda’s thigh for a moment, before nodding her head. “You’re welcome, ma belle.”

***

About ten minutes later, the car stops by a small pond, in the middle of a meadow. Zelda knows this spot like the back of her hand. She used to spend a lot of her time here when she was younger, back when she was still a student at The Academy of Unseen Arts. This used to be her favorite place to read and study, or to simply take a break from whatever was going on in her life at that moment. She doesn’t remember why she ever stopped coming here, because if there has ever been a place that she could call home, it would be right here.

A tall oak, that’s older than most people in Greendale, stands a few feet away from the water, and a large blanket is splayed out underneath it. A few pillows are scattered across the blanket as well, and a small basket with two bottles of wine and two glasses stand next to the tree.

They settle on the blanket together, and Marie pulls the food she ordered from one of the bags. She hands her a container and when Zelda opens it, she is met with her favorite dish: cannelloni. The smells that reach her nose make her stomach grumble, and it’s only then that she realizes just how hungry she is.

Once Marie has poured out two glasses of wine, they both dig into their food and Zelda nearly moans. _It’s so good._

Marie chuckles lightly, swallowing a bite of her own food. “You like it?”

Zelda quickly nods, taking a sip of wine as well.

“I’m glad. Do you want to try this too?” she asks, holding out a fork with a bite of freshly made lasagna on it. Zelda is hesitant, but when Marie gives her an encouraging look, she leans forward and closes her lips around the fork, accepting the bite of food.

She moans again.

Marie is smiling happily at her, but there is a hint of sadness in her eyes that most people probably wouldn’t be able to notice. But Zelda can see it. She has grown familiar with it, since it’s always there when Marie looks at her nowadays. It’s a look that pains her, because she knows she is the cause of it being there in the first place. A warm hand meets Zelda’s thigh, before Marie licks her lips and says softly: “Seeing you eat again makes me so happy.”

Looking down at the hand on her thigh, Zelda covers it with her own and nods, swallowing hard. Her fingertips dance across Marie’s skin, tracing small circles.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been taking care of myself,” she apologizes quietly, keeping her eyes fixed on their hands. “It’s just- I feel like I lost a piece of my purpose, a reason to pull myself together, since... you know.” She can’t manage to utter those last words, but Marie understands. Of course she does.

“Sabrina can still be your reason to keep going and to take care of yourself, chérie,” Marie assures her, moving a little to sit closer to her. She sets her food and fork down and uses her now free hand to gently guide Zelda’s face upwards, so their eyes meet. “She wouldn’t want you to lose yourself like this, and neither do I. So please, let _me_ be your reason as well,” she pleads, her thumb caressing Zelda’s chin gently.

Zelda nods, lips pursed and nostrils flaring once. “I know, Marie. I know.” Bending her head, she presses a kiss against Marie’s thumb.

“I’ll try for you. Both of you.”

***

Marie looks particularly gorgeous in sunlight. She looks radiant and beautiful, and Zelda finds herself getting lost in thought as she watches her simply sitting in front of her, eating dessert and drinking wine. Even without the sun looking down upon her, Marie _shines_. She has this natural glow that nothing could ever compare to, something vibrant and warm, something comforting and unique. Something she doesn’t need the light of a lone star for to bring out in her.

But Zelda can’t help but admit, that she never looks more breathtaking, than in a setting like this.

She thanks Hecate Marie had brought her hat and sunglasses along, though, because she herself doesn’t soak up warm sunlight as Marie does. It doesn’t make her look like a goddess amongst mortals, but after a few hours, it does make her look like a red lobster.

Setting her plate aside, Zelda bites her lip softly, and looks down at her lap.

“I’ve missed you.”

Swallowing a sip of wine audibly, Marie blinks at the confession, seeming to be making sure she heard that right. Then the corners of her lips curl upwards, and she admits: “I have missed you too, mon amour. More than you could ever know.”

The statement makes Zelda’s heart skip a beat, makes her feel so incredibly special and lucky. She has truly missed this: simply being with Marie. Even though they still see each other every day when Marie comes to check up on her, it feels like it’s been forever since they last were together without this barrier of grief Zelda has been putting between herself and the rest of the world.

A soft, somewhat sad, smile forms on Zelda’s face, and she suddenly feels so much longing in her chest. She asks uncertainly: “Can you hold me for a while, please?”

Instantly, Marie nods and answers without any doubt or hesitation: “Of course.”

Putting the glass in her hand down, next to her small plate of dessert, she moves to sit with her back resting against the tree, and spreads her legs a little. Zelda goes to sit in between them, pressing her back against Marie’s chest and burying her face against her neck. She presses a soft kiss on the delicate skin there and closes her eyes, breathing in her lover’s natural scent and perfume. Marie’s arms wrap around her waist automatically, and Zelda puts her hands on top of hers. She sighs contently, only now realizing just how much she had missed to simply cuddle with the other witch. She had missed Marie’s scent, and the warmth of her body, she had missed her gentle kisses and her soft skin.

Zelda had missed everything about her.

She silently promises to spend more time with Marie from now on. If the loss of Sabrina has taught her anything at all, it’s that life is short and right now she realizes that she cannot waste it on staying stuck in her grief. There are so many things she still wants to do and see, so many things she knows Sabrina would want her to enjoy.

She can’t let herself feel like this for the rest of her days.

She won’t.

They sit there in silence for a while, the twittering birds, and the wind blowing softly through the leaves in the tree and the water in the pond, the only audible sounds around them. A soft breeze strokes Zelda’s cheek, and the warm afternoon sun kisses her skin, as she breaks the quietness. “Marie?”

“ _Hm_?”

She’s silent for a moment longer, biting her lip and stroking her fingers up and down the back of Marie’s hand. “I haven’t been good to you lately, and I sincerely apologize for that.”

Her waist is squeezed softly in return, followed by Marie’s silky voice saying: “You haven’t exactly had an _easy_ week, ma belle, so I understand. Truly.”

Shaking her head, Zelda mutters: “It’s still not an excusing for banning you from our bedroom after the sun goes down.”

Marie chuckles lightly and kisses the top of her head with fondness. “I just thought you needed some space, so I gave it to you,” she explains simply.

“No, it’s not that I need space from you.” She weighs her words for a moment, eyes moving along the different heavy rings Marie is wearing. Then she admits: “At night, it all hits me the hardest, and I didn’t want you to see me like that.” A tear-stained face, swollen, puffy eyes and a runny nose from sobbing so much, isn’t exactly the image Zelda wants Marie to have of her.

“Zelda,” Marie starts, turning her head a little so she can properly look at her, “I want you to know that I am here with you, through your highs and your lows. You don’t need to always be strong. Not for me.” It sounds like a genuine promise, and Zelda wants to believe, she truly does, but she’ll need some time to manage to do so.

“I know that,” she smiles softly, feeling tears burning in her eyes, “and I appreciate it. And I am here for you as well, for whatever you might need me.”

Marie nods, lifts an arm to stroke some hair out of Zelda’s face, her touch featherlight. “Right now, I just need you to take care of yourself first. And I need you to know that I am staying with you through all of this.”

Turning her head, she looks at Marie, into those endless brown depths, and swears she might cry because of all the different things she feels right now. She would never dare to name the one thing she feels most in this moment, but it makes her heart swell, makes her feel as though she is floating and everything around her ceases to exist. In this moment, all she is aware of, are those overwhelmingly beautiful eyes in front of her, Marie’s sweet words ringing through her head like a song being played on repeat, and the way her heart suddenly seems too big to fit in her chest.

Zelda is painfully aware of how fragile and finite life is. She knows that happily ever afters don’t exist and she knows that everything comes to an end at some point. No matter how bad it hurts or how bad it might shatter your world apart. She knows that. She knows that ‘tomorrow’ is not a promise but a possibility and she knows that she shouldn’t take anything for granted. She knows that she should tell Marie just how much she means to her, and that she should say so right now, right in this very moment.

But she just can’t. A part of her is still holding back, is still too damaged from the loss of her niece to open up to another person already. And even if she could do it, she could never put into words just how much the woman currently holding her means to her.

So instead of wasting her time trying to mutter words that could never compare to what she feels, Zelda leans in closer.

There is a moment of anticipation between them, a moment where neither of them dares to breathe or break eye contact. It’s a moment where their hearts beat as one, in sync and together. A moment where they are no longer two people, but one soul in two separate bodies.

And then Zelda closes the distance between them, and their lips connect. She tries to put everything she feels into the kiss, tries to let this moment speak for her. Their lips brush against one another soft and slowly, eyes fluttered shut and Marie’s hold around her waist tightening a little. Zelda reaches up and cups her face, her hand sliding from her cheek, to the back of her neck. Zelda’s lips move against Marie’s, like a soft breeze blowing through grass on a sunny day, or like a paintbrush moving along a canvas to create something beautiful and unseen. Kissing Marie feels like art. Her lips feel like _art_.

After a few moments, they part, while still remaining close to one another. Marie smiles at her, a smile that is more bright than any sun in the galaxy and more magical than any shooting star that has ever passed a young child’s window.

It’s then that Zelda promises herself, she has spent her last day letting herself wither away. She is not gonna lock herself up ever again, won’t let her lust for life be stolen from her.

No, she is gonna live her life to the fullest.

And if she is lucky, Marie will be there to hold her hand along the way.

_**The end x** _

**Author's Note:**

> I hope that was alright, I felt a little rusty when writing this and I know this is definitely not my best work, but I hope you enjoyed this anyway :) 
> 
> I’m also still taking prompts! 
> 
> Kind reminder to drink water, to eat something and to have an amazing day!!!


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